The gargantuan night of glamour took place at the Excel Docklands in London last Saturday. The night when the stars dropped from their limos in their most attention-getting outfits, tasteful or not, (we all know there is no such thing as bad publicity). I often snickered at the flattering costumes. I often groaned as the stars prattled on endlessly during their thank you speeches. I cringed in anticipation of the musical acts - will they be impressive or a snooze? But love it or hate it, like thousands of other Indians, I was glued to my seat that night watching the Zee Cine Awards 2008...live!
So as most of the public was eagerly awaiting the arrival of their favourite Bollywood star inside the arena, I was impatiently waiting for them to first arrive on the mere 5 meter red carpet kept only to make us media feel that it was a grand red-carpet event. The few first ones to arrive were designer Manish Malhotra & model Nina Manuel who respectively played hosts on the red carpet for channel ETC and Zee After Hours. Come 6.30 pm, BMW's, Mercedes, Bentley's, Chryslers piled up one behind the other to bring in some of Bollywood's well-known faces. Like the lovey-dovey couple Saif Ali Khan who looked like a true Nawab in his white blazer with yellow embroidered collar on his blue jean along with his girlfriend Kareena Kapoor wearing a dark brown dress and looking quite tanned (they've just popped in to London from their vacation in Maldives). The entire Kapoor family walked the red carpet from Randhir, Rishi, Neetu and Chimpoo Kapoor to Ranbir Kapoor in a trademark London style outfit wearing a pink jumper on his black suit. Also hand in hand walked the hot contender honewali Kapoor bahu Deepika Padukone in her beautiful long black outfit. Neil Nitin Mukesh who was accompanied by his father Nitin Mukesh and his mother looked desperate to win an award...and why not? Karishma Kapoor walked in with her Polo obsessed husband Sanjay Kapur, and when asked him whether he has any plans to make it even bigger in Bollywood by showing his acting skills, he said "Yes" and after a long pause uttered "No". So what exactly is your answer Mr. Kapur?
But before the Kapoor brigade, Lara Dutta graced the red carpet in her blue dress and soon followed her ex boyfriend Kelly Dorje in a rather strange looking outfit along with...hold your breath...three stunning ladies. As for Kelly, all we can say is - teen tigda...kaam bigda. The Jaanbaaz jodi of dad Feroz Khan and son Fardeen Khan attended, then the lonely looking Riteish Deshmukh in his grey suit and blue shirt walked all alone by himself. Mrs. Gauri Khan in her olive green outfit was seen on the red carpet without hubby SRK who already escaped the media through the backstage. It was a white day where many of the celebs wore white - Upen Patel, Dia Mirza, Simi Garewal and Raima Sen. Of course, Abbas Mustan were the only ones missing, which reminds me that when Sajid Khan asked Fardeen Khan why does he feel that the director duo wear white always, he replied - 'I think because they must be a fan of Simi Garewal'. Ha!
The beautiful, the ever-so-charming, the crowning glory and the saagar jaisi aankhon wali Dimple Kapadia along with her daughter Rinke Khanna and designer Abu Jani too went noticed. So while the rest of the fraternity were enjoying their drinks, chicken and their dance, the Kapoors left quietly after making a bit of noise.
So as the red carpet looked deserted outside, the show looked packed inside. From Saif Ali Khan to Katrina Kaif, from ace choreographer Ganesh Hegde to British Asian singer Jay Sean, all showcased their acts with thunderous applause. But the show stealer was Shah Rukh Khan who received the maximum, not only by his Om Shanti Om performance right at the end of the show but just by the cameras showing his face on the giant screens kept for the public. Can you believe it? It was funny man Vinay Pathak who received the maximum as well. How? Read on...He came up to receive his award for the best comedian but as the crowd in London hardly know him and his popularity in India, the arena went a bit quiet. So Vinay comes up to the microphone and tells the audience that he knows how to get them cheering on for him in three words. The words were - 'I love Shah Rukh Khan'. That's Vinay at his best. The fans seemed like they wanted to tear off the screens and take SRK out of there. He is meant to be the 'King' after all.
11 pm - the awards were given out, the acceptance speeches were delivered and the stars walked out in style after the award functions heading to the grande 'After Party' at the St James Park Hotel near Buckingham Palace hosted by Zee. Zee Haan, aapne theek suna. So while Saif Ali Khan was getting too private in front of the public eye with Kareena in the middle of the road outside the Hotel entrance (no wonder his next film is titled - Roadside Romeo), it was Mr. Rishi Kapoor who was more watched by the public for his disrespectful behavior and using swear words left right and centre towards the security guard only for the reason best known to him. What I did hear from the veteran actor though was that he was complaining about his car not turning up on time to fetch him when he stepped out of the party. What's further more embarrassing is the fact that he was shouting and swearing in front of Neetu Kapoor, Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone and how can we forget...the public too.
While the rest of the fraternity were enjoying their drinks, chicken and dance, the Kapoors left quietly after making a bit of noise.
A round up on the Zee Cine Awards 2008 in London
Tashan Review
There’s a direct co-relation between the incoming calls that I receive on a Friday, with the status of a film. If it happens to be a low-budget fare with no curiosity attached to it, my phone remains silent most of the times, except for a few regulars who, anyways, will never stop calling.
But if the movie happens to be a big-budget extravaganza starring the high and mighty or is helmed by a top notch story teller, the cell phone rings incessantly. Last Friday onwards, right till the time of writing this piece, the phone hasn’t stopped ringing. Expectedly, the discussions were limited to TASHAN, just TASHAN, only TASHAN.
Everyone I spoke to is in a state of shock. What went wrong? Let’s analyze…
- Akshay Kumar – in top form after a string of hits.
- Saif Ali Khan – riding high after RACE.
- Kareena Kapoor – stronger than ever after JAB WE MET.
- Anil Kapoor – back with a bang, post WELCOME and RACE.
- Add to it the name that once guaranteed house full boards from Day 1 itself – Yash Raj. Yet, TASHAN failed to drive into the viewer’s heart.
A leading North India distributor/exhibitor and I got into a discussion over the financial implications of its no-show at multiplexes. “Do you think Yash Raj would be affected by a Rs. 8-10 crore loss? It won’t pinch them one bit,” he opined.
Agreed, Yash Raj has made a fortune with a string of hits, but in this business [or any business for that matter], every penny counts. TASHAN has cost ‘x’ amount to make and whether you accept it or not, the no-show at multiplexes means that they’ve lost out on a good chunk of revenue. Had the film opened at the plexes, the losses would’ve been controlled/minimal.
But more than anything else, TASHAN has hit the credibility of Yash Raj hard. Last year, RGV faced a major crisis when RGV KI AAG was mauled, ridiculed and written off. I saw and heard similar negative talk doing the rounds of the industry for TASHAN.
Yash Raj’s last three films [JHOOM BARABAR JHOOM, LAAGA CHUNARI MEIN DAAG and AAJA NACHLE] were forgettable ventures. But TASHAN will not be erased from our memory. Its non-performance will haunt us all through this year!
Chak De girl Shilpa Shukla steps into international cinema
Chak De girl Shilpa Shukla is all set to enter the international cinema with a film titled Extrospection which will be directed, written and produced by Manan Singh Kotohora. It is said that the film is based on Satyajit Ray's Charulata but set in contemporary times.
The film will be shot in New York with Shilpa playing the lead role of Charu. With all praises for Shilpa Shukla, Kotohora said that he was taken aback by the actress' performance in Khamosh Pani and Chak De India. Hence, she was his natural choice for the film.
Kotohora's another project titled When Kiran Met Karen, which is based on the issue of lesbianism, is in under post production. Extrospection is expected to go on the floors this year.
IIFA'08 Technical Awards Announced
The International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) recently announced the awards in the Technical category.
And no prizes for guessing the winners as it were the regular suspects who walked home with the prestigious honors. The winners included superhit like Chak De India (five awards) and Om Shanti Om (four awards). While Chak De India bagged the awards in Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Sound Recording, Best Sound Re-recording, Best Screenplay (shared it with Life in a Metro), Om Shanti Om got it for Best Art Direction, Best Special Effects, Best Costume designing and Best Makeup.
The choreography award has gone to Vaibhavi Merchant for Aaja, while Javed Sheikh & Ejaz Sheikh won the best action award for the movie Shootout at Lokhandwala.
The Award for Best Sound Recording went to H. Sridhar for Guru, while A. R. Rahman won the Idea IIFA Award for Best Background Score for the movie Guru. Imtiaz Ali won the IIFA for Best Dialogue for Jab We Met.
The prestigious IIFA awards are to be held Bangkok, from June 6 -8 ‘08.
Yash Raj Films has lost it now
The boom time for the Mumbai film industry is not translating into windfalls for top Bollywood production house Yash Raj Films (YRF), with its first offering of 2008, "Tashan", failing to live up to the hype.While in 2007, YRF's tally of flops outweighed that of hits, their first release this year has failed to charm critics and the audience response to "Tashan" has not been too heartening.
Though heavy on formula and style, the film starring the reigning star of the box-office, Akshay Kumar, and media's favourite star couple, Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor, has no story to tell. Seems that writer-director Vijay Krishna Acharya was so busy packaging egos that he forgot what he wanted to say in "Tashan".
The fact that "Tashan" did not release in several multiplexes due to a long-standing tiff with cinema hall owners over sharing of revenues has been a major dampener. The country's top production house has been trying to get multiplex owners to agree on a new revenue sharing formula.
Their offer of keeping 55 percent of the box-office collections in the first week was rejected by exhibitors.
According to news reports, the first day's collection of "Tashan", which opened only in single-screen theatres on Friday, stood at 70 percent to 80 percent in Mumbai. Given that the film has not met expectations of both critics as well as audiences, the collections are likely to dip in the days ahead.
Its releasing in single-screen theatres is economically less profitable as fewer number of shows can be screened each day and the cost of tickets is much lower than in multiplexes.
Trade weekly said the film had a 70 percent start, but there were reports of business sliding downwards as day progressed. The reports are negative and the biggie is not likely to sustain in the days to come, according to trade analyst.
For YRF, the third highest spender in Bollywood at the moment after Reliance Entertainment and Indian Films, the fate of "Tashan" will serve as a cautioner.
The illustrious production house will be pumping in Rs.3.5 billion over the next 15 months into the industry and cannot afford to leave their audiences feeling unsatisfied.
Reliance Entertainment and Indian Films, which will be investing Rs.5 billion and Rs.4.4 billion in the industry over the next year-and-a-half respectively, are the biggest moneybags of the industry at the moment.
But among the seasoned banners, it is YRF that leads the pack. They have both the talents as well as enjoy faith of the audiences.
The Rs.120 billion strong Mumbai-based Hindi film industry is inundated with public and private investment. Entry of corporate bigwigs has shaken up traditional production houses.
This year, YRF, is releasing as many as five films across genres - thriller, comedy, romance and animation, starring some of the top actors and directors. Though the number is small in comparison to other banners, the banner is not known to churn out so many in a single year.Known as the czars of Bollywood, YRF have been going through a bad patch ever since the average performance of "Ta Ra Rum Pum" and debacle of mega-starrer "Jhoom Barabar Jhoom" last year.
Though they tried to do things differently by taking up women-oriented scripts, they could not make things work in other releases of last year -- "Laaga Chunari Mein Daag" and "Aaja Nach Le". The only saving grace was "Chak De! India".
The lesson that content is king is still to get embedded in the core of filmmaking in India. But with production houses like UTV Motion Pictures planning to roll out 18-20 films this year and the Indian Film Company readying 12-13 films, it is a lesson that needs to be internalised at the earliest.
UTV, Indian Films and YRF will produce some of the most awaited releases of the year like Aditya Chopra's "Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi" starring Shah Rukh Khan, Rakesh Omprakash Mehra's "Dilli 6", Akshay Kumar starrer "Singh is Kinng", which is being directed by Anees Bazmee, and "Ghajini", which has Aamir Khan in the main lead.
Hrithik won't leave Suzanne
Hrithik wants to be in town when Hrehaan gets his sibling.
At the moment the most nervous person in Mumbai is Hrithik Roshan. His second baby is due any day now.
And Hrithik has put all his traveling plans on hold.
"I'm just not stepping out of Mumbai for some time now. That's why I had to say no to the Zee awards later this week in London. Right now I can't focus on any work that takes me outside Mumbai."
Keeping in mind his determination to stay put in Mumbai Hrithik is at the moment shooting for Zoya Akhtar's directorial debut Luck By Chance in Mumbai.
The actor has a guest appearance in the film…A commitment he made long ago and is only too happy to fulfil since Zoya is not only a close friend Farhan Akhtar's sister but also the first female director Hrithik has worked with.
"We've shooting nights for the last few days. And I've one full song to do before I am done. That will keep me busy till the end of the week," says Hrithik.
Hopefully by the time Zoya's shooting is done Hrehaan will have his sibling. And Hrithik his freedom to travel again.
I was not flirting with Shahid: Jiah
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In the meanwhile director Ken Ghosh suddenly surfaced to say Jiah was back in the project. "I wouldn't like to say much on the matter.I'll let my producers UTV clear all the misunderstanding.I lacked vision & money like SRK: Suneil Shetty
Suneil Shetty, brand ambassador for hockey on the sting operation that exposed Indian Hockey Federation's secretary K. Jyothikumaran.On one end you've been talking of taking the game forward. But this takes hockey ten steps backwards?
I disagree. This exposure of what lies beneath is the first step towards recuperation. The worst was when India failed to qualify for hockey in the Olympics for the first time in eighty years.
The team, coach, managers were all wrongly selected. I know we've a humongous amount of talent in our hockey team. If the sting operation is true it's the best thing to happen to hockey.
God has his own way of cleansing our conscience and our society. Today everyone has woken up to the changes required in the hockey. Why blame the players when you suddenly choose someone who's never been part of any team to play for the country?
A game is about the team spirit. The guy who passes on the ball has to have the confidence in the next guy. It's time now to make drastic changes.
Like what?
We should have a body akin to cricket's BCCI, a board controlling hockey. And we need energetic focused people like Rajiv Shukla and Sharad Pawar supporting our national sport.
These are people for whom the money wouldn't matter. They'd do it for the love of the sport. Look at cricket and cricketers from India. They're on the world map. The IPL is just the beginning. What happened to baseball and soccer in the US is happening to cricket in India.
Why can't we have a similar fate for hockey? Five years down the line I see the same happening to hockey. I'm happy that favouritism and corruption in the game are going to end.
Do you approve of the sting operation?
Not as a rule. Not if it's to mess up someone's personal life. But if it's for the good of the nation like the Jyothikumaran operation I'm all for it.Don't you think sports in our country is being over-commercialized?
Which aspect of our life is not? Everything is up for sale. Even if the IPL is for money it's still a creative endeavour. What about the Football Premier League all over the world?
It has made football the no. 1 game worldwide. When someone has that uniform on it's a different feeling altogether. The IPL has just 5-6 foreigners. The rest are all our own boys.
But the loyalty factor gets mixed up for the spectator?
That's true. Mumbai is my karam-bhoomi and Bangalore is my janam-bhoomi. When the two play against one another I wouldn't know which was my loyalty would go.But we'll settle that.
So why aren't you part of the IPL?
I lacked the vision and the money. I'm happy to see Shah Rukh there, and doing so brilliantly.
What concrete plans for hockey?
I wanted to spread awareness about the game, probably get the spirit going.Now what we need is a committee to make drastic changes. And that's already happening. I'm there to support and promote hockey in every way possible.
When they had made Dhanraj Pillai sit on the bench at the peak of his career, I protested on his behalf. Today every sport needs a star to be promoted whether it's Ronaldo or Beckham. Dhanraj was our star. When they kicked him out I knew there was corruption.
Will be able to give time to hockey?
Of course I will. I believe every celebrity owes it to society to support worthy causes. And if the cause is for the country then nothing like it.
You were one of the first actors to bring in a spirit of entrepreneurship to the industry?Oh absolutely. I think we need to learn a lesson from our senior actors who did so well for themselves and then died in poverty. It's a very fickle industry. All it takes is a Friday and you're forgotten. You've to secure your future.
Don't make movies the be-all end-all of your lives. That's why I did what I had to do with my finances. I'm a very strong individual. And I value my selfrespect.
Even if I had five flops no one can claim to have signed me as a favour. I never had godfathers.
But I've terrific friends like Ajay Devgan, Sanjay Dutt, Salman, Govinda and Shah Rukh Khan who've constantly supported me.
Insurance for college graduates
College graduates and their families are often surprised to learn how affordable health plans can be. MedSave.com, a leading provider of low cost medical insurance for college graduates, reports that the average cost of the six most popular health plans to young adults has dropped this year to for the first time in recent history. The price drop is due to the expansion of limited benefit plans rather than a reduction in overall health care costs.
But more health plan choices also means that there is more potential for selecting the wrong coverage. Not surprisingly, the least expensive health plans tend to be the most popular among young adults. This can lead to less than adequate protection. These health plans tend to provide up-front benefits for smaller medical expenses like doctors office visits but offer the least protection for catastrophic risks. It is important that college graduates choose the right plan for their own health situation. It appears that parents may be less likely to be involved in the selection of the insurance than in helping with the cost. Many college graduates are purchasing insurance for the first time and purchase trends indicate that some are making uninformed choices based solely on the cost of coverage or misperceptions of the risk/benefit aspects of insurance choices.
In most cases a high deductible short term medical insurance policy provides a young adult with the best protection at the lowest cost. Most college graduates and other young adults do not benefit financially by purchasing health insurance that covers routine health care like doctors office visits, lab tests and prescription drug costs.
Aamir Khan hurt, hospitalised
Aamir Khan was badly hurt while performing a stunt for the remake of the Tamil thriller ‘Ghajini’ on Wednesday at Ramuji Rao Studios, Hyderabad.He has been admitted to a city hospital and his wife Kiran has rached Hyderabad.
Shooting for the film has been postponed, which means that the release of the film would be delayed.
According to sources, Aamir Khan was shooting since 7 am in the morning. As he had to shoot intense action scenes, he wanted to finish the tougher sequences in the morning.
Around 11 am Aamir was shooting for a scene where he had to pick up a very bulky man and throw him against the wall. Unfortunately, Aamir pulled his hamstring muscle while he was enacting the action scene. Aamir just sat down and was unable to get up as he was in severe pain.
Immediately, a physiotherapist was called and he has been taking care of Aamir's injury since yesterday.
Bebo-Shahid meet again after split!!!
Remember Kate Beckinsale and John Cusack in Serendipity meeting at Bloomingdale's over the Christmas shopping, getting attracted to one another though they are attached elsewhere? They make a promise to meet if they are destined to.
Peter Chelsom's Serendipity now has a desi avatar.
Boney Kapoor's Milenge Milenge in the making for almost two years now is getting ready for release.
Ironically the film stars the once-lovers Kareena Kapoor and Shahid Kapoor. And since their first post-split film Jab We Met was such a whammer at the boxoffice, Boney of course wants to cash in on Milenge Milenge as the last film to feature the Jab We Met jodi.
For almost six months the producer has been chasing his dream pair.
But now the wait is over. After months of dillydallying Shahid and Kareena are dubbing for the film.
Says the director Satish Kaushik, "Shahid who's my neighbour has already started dubbing for the film.Kareena will dub as soon as she returns from abroad. Yes, the film does have elements of Serendipity."
The title Milenge Milenge suggests a touch of afterlife.
"No no. Milenge Milenge has got nothing to do with reincarnation. One film on that theme (Karzzz) is more than enough."
"Why is our marriage a matter of front-page interest?" - Arbaaz Khan
Arbaaz and Malaika Khan's rather ugly run-in with the monstrous after-shocks of over-exuberant product-marketing seems to have left the Khan family deeply affected. Known to be deeply conservative the Khans are extremely upset with Malaika and Arbaaz. "They feel it was wrong that we should've let them read about our little campaign instead of taking the family into confidence. In fact my parents clearly said, 'If we knew you two were going to be part of such a gimmick we'd have never allowed you to.' I never thought I'd ever get into something that would turn so ugly," sighs Arbaaz.
So far the Khan family has one child as a favourite child of controversy. "Salman doesn't care what is written about him. I'm not that kind of a guy. I'm very particular about the way I conduct myself especially about my marriage. Suddenly, I find myself fighting a lonely battle to redeem my wife and my image."
To compound the Khans' problems the multi-national company which conceived and implemented the queer campaign has completely washed its hands off the matter….a direct echo of what happened to the Roshans when the cell-phone company which goofed up in its communication system with the copyright ownership issue of Ram Sampat's tune decided to steer clear of their celebrity clients' troubles. "It's not just my name that's being affected, it's my wife's name too, and that I won't tolerate," Arbaaz says angrily days after the media reacted violently to the couple's gimmicky marital-discord campaign that hit the headlines last week.
Says Arbaaz, "My wife and I have been called publicity hounds and our little child has also been dragged into the matter when all we did was to go along with the multi-national's campaign. Is compliance a crime? Then we're guilty. And I apologize. I'm not the kind of a guy who gets defensive after doing something goes wrong. And this situation has definitely gone wrong."
What Arbaaz cannot fathom is why a section of the media chose to highlight the false story on a marriage breakup. "Neither Malaika nor I ever said we were splitting. It was the cosmetic company which put out a yarn about me re-marrying. From there some media persons let their imagination run riot. Since when is our marriage a matter of front-page interest?"
Wishing Mr. B R Chopra a very Happy Birthday!
Today is the birthday of Baldev Raj Chopra, the eternal great and legendary Bollywood Man! Some of you may not know much about his life, so we give a short biography of the living legend to help you in knowing the B-Day boy better!
After doing his M.A. in English Literature from Lahore University, he surprised his family by getting into film journalism. After that, he joined 'Cine Herald Journal' as a writer in charge of editing film reviews. He later went on to produce his first film Karwat in 1949. He is also responsible for giving India its first ever epic television serial 'Mahabharat', which entered the Guinness Book of World Records by registering 96% world viewership! Later, he was aptly awarded the prestigious 'Dadasaheb Phalke Award' for his contribution to Indian Cinema, which included classic and evergreen films like Naya Daur, Gumrah, Pati Patni Aur Woh, Insaaf Ka Tarazu, Tawaif, Nikaah and so on.
Needless to say that you must be by now ordering for bouquets galore to wish the B-Day Boy, Mr B R Chopra who turns 94 today.
All you need to do is post your Birthday wishes for Mr. B R Chopra, the 'Architect of Bollywood' in the window below.
No tension between Big B - SRK
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Before we forward Ravi Chopra's clarification on the issue, let's bring to you another interesting facet pertaining to the film, which, I presume, a lot many people would be unaware of. Initially, director Vivek Sharma was toying with the idea of making a small film, but when he narrated the subject to Chopra, the producer insisted that they approach Bachchan Sr. for the role in question. However, Bachchan Sr. wasn't keen on doing the film. Reason being, he wasn't too sure of Vivek's abilities. But when he eventually agreed to act in the film, his only condition was Ravi Chopra should be present on the sets on all days. Later, when Bachchan grew fond of Vivek and realized that the director had the spark, there were no issues absolutely.
Ask Ravi Chopra if he sensed any kind of tension between the two actors [Bachchan, SRK] and the veteran film-maker denies it completely, “Not at all! In fact, they would play games and enjoy each other's company during breaks. I'd love to work with them again and again.” That should silence the gossip mills!
Vidya Balan chosen as Brand Ambassador for Airtel
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This Bollywood beauty is on a signing spree, not just on screen, but off screen as well. The news of her being the Brand Ambassador for Airtel comes just days after her being signed as the Brand Ambassador for Toshiba. She has already shot for the commercial with yet another southern heartthrob Madhavan, with Vinil Mathew of FootCandle Productions, calling the shots.
Talking about Vidya Balan, R. Chandrasekhar - Head of Brand And Media, Bharti Airtel, said, “Spontaneity and vibrancy are key attributes of Airtel. Vidya is a hugely talented actress who brings a lot of freshness and naturalness to any role. We are sure that these traits of Vidya will have a positive rub off on the brand as well.”
With Vidya's career soaring up and up in the 'Air', it's really easy to 'Tel' that who is the next top most contender to the Queen Bee slot! What say Miss Balan!
Chak De India gets the 'Billies'
Chak De India, Yash Raj Films’ landmark hit about a group of young girls forgetting their differences and carrying India to the hockey World Cup title was honoured with the ‘Billies’, the ultimate accolade for depictions of women’s sporting achievement.
Named after Billie Jean King, the tennis legend who defeated Bobby Riggs in the “Battle of the Sexes”, the Billies were handed out in four categories “Breakthrough & Innovation”, “Entertainment”, “Journalism”, and “Outstanding Journalist”. Chak De India was declared the best in the “Entertainment” category at a ceremony attended by sporting greats like Aimee Mullins (Track & Field), Julie Foudy (Soccer), Michelle Kwan (Figure Skating), Rosie Casals (Tennis Player), Tony Gonzalez (Football), Tracy Austin (Tennis) and many others. Living legend Elton John wowed the audience with his performance, including a heartful rendition of “Philadelphia Song”, which he had written in honour of Billie Jean King.
Commented Yash Chopra, Chairman, Yash Raj Films, “Chak De India continues to pay back the faith we had reposed in the movie even when conventional wisdom would have dictated otherwise. To win accolades like this from around the world, especially from places where depictions of women’s sport has had a long and established tradition is especially heartening. It was an honour to be selected by such a distinguished panel of women’s sports historians, journalists and media industry executives. But while we cherish this honour, the greatest reward for the movie was undoubtedly the love and affection that was showered on it by audiences worldwide.”
Shimit Amin, the director of the movie, picked up the award on behalf of Yash Raj Films. He later said, “The reaction to the movie was simply fantastic. You would not believe that this was a foreign audience- comprised of professional writers, critics and industry professionals for the most part- the way they reacted. It just reinforced our belief that the message of the movie and the performances of Shah Rukh Khan and the girls cuts across all boundaries.”
All in all, India is simply proud of both of you. Chak De SRK and Yash Raj!
I confess, I am a selfish actor: Kajol
'U, Me Aur Hum' may not have got a great opening like Shah Rukh Khan's Om Shanti Om, but Kajol is happy that she was a part of the project.When I meet her at her actor-director husband Ajay Devgan's office in Juhu, Kajol confesses that it was not very tough to play the role. Kajol adds that she was confident that people would be able to identify with the role, when Ajay narrated the role to her. Here is a chat with the actor.
"I had a superb director to back me. I should undoubtedly give the entire credit to my director for the ease with which the character of Piya has unfolded on the screen in 'U, Me Aur Hum'.
The best thing that I liked about my character in the film was that besides the fact that she was normal and not handicapped in any way, Piya had a wicked sense of humor and at the same time, she was a little vulnerable too."
Kajol kick started her career with the film 'Bekhudi', more than a decade ago, with Kamal Sadanah as her leading man. Kajol is practical enough to confess that her role in 'U, Me Aur Hum' is not the best in her career till date.
"Every role that I have done has been the best at that particular point of time in my career. Since my latest release is 'U, Me Aur Hum', I feel that it is my best as of now." Kajol quips.
She admits that she is far too picky as an actor. "I am lucky that I have been approached by various kinds of directors, in spite of the fact that I am very choosy.
The problem is that my expectations as an actor are quite high and I am not getting the kind of roles that I want to do and I am not interested in doing the kinds of roles that I am offered", she avers.
What is interesting about Kajol is that she is capable of throwing surprises not only as an actor who gets into the skin of various characters but also as a person who can shock you out of your wits with statements you do not expect at all.
"I want to do films that I want to watch. I watch very few films for my entertainment. As far as I am concerned, happy and positive films make me laugh.
I am not against other kinds of films, though I may not be tempted to be a part of it. For instance, if tomorrow Mira Nair offers me a comedy film, I'd gladly grab it, without a second thought."
She disagrees when you tell her that married actors are not accepted by the audience when they set out to stage their comebacks in films."For your information, I acted with Ajay in films like 'Raju Chacha', 'Dil Kya Kare' etc only after I was married to him. Didn't 'Fanaa click'? I had acted in it after my baby Nysa was born. Didn't I?
I think that if you choose the right role, you can click, especially if you are a married actor, that too with a baby.
If I had made my come back with a film in which I played a college girl with a short skirt, I am sure I would not have succeeded. You should know to choose the right role."
Kajol confesses that she has mellowed a lot and is not the fire-brand rebel that she once was.
"I think motherhood changes you in many ways. Motherhood removes the chasma which is experience and you start looking at people in a different way and also judge them in a different way.
Your perceptions about people too changes. The way Nysa looked at people changed my pre-conceived notions too."
She adds, "Today, thanks to my growth as an actor, I feel that I can adapt my technique. I did not know what technique was earlier. I have, over the years, actually learnt a method to acting, and use it honestly with a lot more expertise and finesse."
Kajol says that then only film which she has signed is 'Toonpur Ka Super Hero'. She adds in the same breath, even before you can ask, that she has not signed any film with Karan or for that matter with Shah Rukh Khan.
"Ajay has got nothing to with me doing or not doing a film with Karan or for that matter Shah Rukh Khan. I choose the script every time I am offered a film, not Ajay Devgan, Aamir Khan or for that matter Shah Rukh Khan.
Ajay is proud that I choose to do films which I believe in."
She continues. "I have not heard Karan's script. It would not do him and his project justice, if I tell him that I'd do his film without listening to the script, though as a friend, he trusts me enough to let me make a decision and vice versa.
Our friendship is so strong that it will stand the test of time, whether we do a film together or not."
Kajol is happy that she agreed to be a part of the TV show 'Rock N Roll Family' with her mother Tanuja and her husband Ajay."We were offered a lot of reality shows earlier but we kept on declining each of them, although we appeared in one episode of 'Little Champs'. We agreed to be in 'Rock N Roll Family' because of the concept. It is about the family and the principles that we believe in."
Though it was a life long dream of Ajay to wield the megaphone, Kajol says that she does not plan to take up direction. "I'd say that as of now I am not inclined to take up direction, though I do not know what is in store.
Unlike Ajay, whose strength as a director is his clarity, I am a selfish actor. Mujhe sirf apne kaam se mutlab hain. I am in fact surprised that Ajay and I never had any disagreement throughout the shooting of the film.
I have had some point of disagreement with almost every director with whom I have worked till date. In fact, I'd say that the director Ajay Devgan exceeded my expectations when I worked with him."
"I hope that I have affected Ajay a lot. I have taught him a lot and vice versa. I believe that any marriage works only if there is a lot of give and take between the couple. In fact I agree one hundred per cent with the message that 'U, Me Aur Hum' sets out to drive home.
That man makes a problem bigger though it is never bigger than a man. We make the solution impossible, because we do not make an attempt to solve a problem, since we concentrate more on the problem than the solution," she concludes.- Jyothi Venkatesh
Kareena's secret diet revealed
There have been enough speculation on Kareena Kapoor's crash dieting and enough stories about her fainting on the sets. All these rumours are just that – rumours.Kareena's Nutritionist and Dietician, Rujuta Diwekar, has revealed the true story of the actor's diet and eating habits. Kareena met Diwekar in May 2007, and the latter has been the actor's dietician since then.
Apparently, Kareena gave Diwekar a brief about her character – that she had to be lean and sexy.
Diwekar knew that Kareena is a pure vegetarian, and wondered if she could lose the required amount of weight by going on a vegetarian diet. She put the actor on a diet that consisted of healthy nutritious food.
Kareena has been eating parathas, momos, cheese, pasta, bananas and other food that are perceived as fattening.
"Contrary to reports in the media, Kareena did not starve herself, and neither did she subsist only on orange juice. There were also stories that she fainted on the sets, but that is not true," says Diwekar.
"What worried Kareena was that her fans, especially teenage girls who look up to her as their icon, will blindly follow the false articles and emulate her.
The results can harm them in some way or the other. Kareena did not want that to happen, and thus this clarification," he adds.
According to Diwekar, the actor wants her fans to know that she has achieved her super sexy body, over a period of time, by being dedicated and disciplined about her fitness and eating habits.
"She is massively into a strict regime of yoga, which she practices for almost two hours a day. She loves the way she is looking now, just like a Hollywood star," Diwekar concludes.
Big B slams Shatru in his blog
Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan in his blog has lashed out against Shatrughan Sinha's insinuations that the nominations list of the International Indian Film Academy awards were fixed.He says in the blog: 'A section of the print media carried comment from my colleague and friend and neighbour, Mr Shatrughan Sinha.
It reportedly quoted his reactions to the nomination list of the IIFA Awards, wherein he has purportedly stated that ' Sab kissika beta hai, ya kissiki bahu, ya kissiki biwi ', and the media adding there interpretation to it, stating that this was directed to a particular family of 'guru' fame.
I believe what is being insinuated is that there is partiality or some 'fixing' in the choice of the nominations carried by IIFA. And as the report concluded, the indication was towards one family, not difficult to guess which one.
I am surprised at this observation, especially since, during the time of the National Award selection for Best Actress in one of the past years, when the Award went to Raveena Tandon, it was alleged that Mr Shatrughan Sinha's wife, the lovely and graceful Poonam, a great friend of Raveena's mother had recommended the appointment of MacMohan, the brother of Raveena's mother, on the board of the Jury (structured by the Govt., in power - in this case the BJP, of which Mr Sinha was a Minister of State ) in order that he may cast his vote in favor of Raveena Tandon.
If this alleged story is true then i do value Mr Shatrughan Sinha's alleged statement of 'Sab kissika beta, kissiki beti, kissiki biwi' - you are so right Shatru !!
Of course this does not take anything away from Raveena's very deserving Award - she has been a wonderful and talented coartiste in many films of mine, or, MacMohan, the Sambha of Sholay, who has remained a dear friend and has worked with me in several films. As has Mr Shatrughan Sinha !!
And may i also state that IIFA nominations come from the film fraternity through computerised voting systems, audited and compiled by Price Waterhouse Coopers, an International Company of repute and standing.
And Shatru I have seen some very encouraging reports of the film, where your son is being introduced to this great Industry. May he prosper and succeed even more than his illustrious father and may he never have to face a slighted accusation of 'fixing', when his name comes up for an Award in the future
I post separately a speech that i made at the book release in Delhi recently.
The book is called 'Icons' and is written by the renowned senior journalist Anil Dharkar. It compiles 60 years of Independence and the Icons that made an impact on the country.
I thought it was a pertinent piece. It never received any attention by the media. Perhaps it was not of their standard. I would love for you to read it and send me your impressions of it.
Namaskar, Shubh Ratri, Shabba Khair, Satsriakal and Good night !!'
Who's this Isabel in Sallu's life now
Isabel, a young starlet from the United Kingdom, is bent upon gatecrashing into Bollywood. But why is Salman Khan equally bent upon helping her out?It would be natural for anyone maybe, not only for Salman, to play godfather to a sexy young thing especially if she has a striking resemblance to his steady Katrina (remember how he cast Sneha Ullal, an Aishwarya Rai look-alike, in Lucky?). What's more, Isabel even shares Katrina's surname, Kaif!
Well, she would share the surname, but not Katrina's boyfriend Salman. That's bvecause she is one of the seven Kaif sisters, and Katrina happens to be one of them!
Isabel Kaif is Katrina's kid sister, and has been seen in the background of recent Katrina photographs at various events. A sureshot signal of things to come, especiall pretty young things.
Salman Khan's Veer, whose story is credited to Salman, will commence shooting in August and director Anil Sharma is busy polishing off the dialogues at the moment.
Meanwhile, the buzz is that Isabel Kaif will be paired opposite Sallu Bhai! Salman has always been strongly bonded with his siblings, and they have all been one for all, and all for one.
Arbaaz and Sohail have produced and acted in films sharing the Khan synergy, as in Hello Brother and Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya.
Earlier, he gave music director duo Sajid-Wajid great breaks, as also cousin- singer, Kamal Khan. Lately, Partner was a film made only to help Govinda out of his career crisis.
So, is it any wonder that the story writer and star of Veer has been rooting for Isabel as the leading lady, especially when it has come out into the open that Katrina herself has nudged and pushed Salman and Anil Sharma!
Veer is a period drama set in the years 1852 to 1900. Salman's first period film looks like the perfect launch for her kid sister, feels Katrina. Officially however director Anil Sharma denies it all, calling it the usual rumour.
"I am working on the dialogues of the film. I am yet to finish some parts of the script. Once that is done then I will think about the casting.
All I can say at the moment is that Salman is in the main lead, but we are yet to finalise the leading lady," said Sharma.
Reportedly, Priyanka Chopra who starred in Anil Sharma's The Hero with Sunny Deol in her early career, has always wanted to be a part of all his films. Apparently, when she heard the story of Veer, she expressed her keenness to do the film.Sharma denies this too. "No, it's not true. As I said before, we are yet to finalise the leading lady," he says. "I haven't signed any actress opposite Salman yet."
Sharma added that Salman gives major inputs in the script and dialogues though it's only the story that is his. "Being the son of the famous writer, Salim Khan, Salman has a great story sense. He has a very good sense of humour too."
Maybe it's Sharma's sense of humour too while denying all 'rumours'. So, who will it be as leading lady opposite Salman Khan in Veer? We would put our money, all of it, on Isabel Kaif.
If it turns out it's not she, but Priyanka or someone else, that would be a cruel joke by Sharma or Salman or both!
Mischa Barton wallpaper
Katrina Kaif Sizzling look in Black Dress
Recently Race was released which hit the jackpot at box office, she gave her best performance in that movie and its quite obvious to say that she looked beautiful and glamorous in the movie opposite Saif and Akshay Khanna.
